I folded my arms. “Keep an eye on Blackie?” I asked with interest. “Does that mean you still—”
“It just means that I don’t want him making a fool of himself over women who don’t deserve him,” Sheila snapped. She pulled her hat brim down. “Deal?”
“Deal,” I said. I regarded her. “Sheila, you are one tough cookie.”
Herbs for Your Skeleton
Whether acute or chronic, diseases of the musculoskeletal system are almost always painful and are often debilitating. Learning to treat your particular condition with herbs—in a broader holistic context, of course—can help you reduce the intensity and frequency of your symptoms. In some cases, it may even alleviate the problem altogether.
David Hoffman
Healthy Bones & Joints
Before modern science came up with pharmaceuticals to help us maintain our bones and joints, herbal medicine offered an array of possible treatments. Here are some that have been used over the centuries.
Herbs with estrogenic effects
Declining estrogen is one of the causes of bone loss. Herbs that have estrogenic effects include black cohosh (a well-documented herbal alternative to hormone replacement therapy), dong quai, burdock root, Chinese ox knee root, alfalfa, and motherwort. Red clover, the subject of recent scientific study, has been shown to help increase cortical bone. Numerous studies have confirmed that soy slows bone loss, as well as lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of breast cancer.
Herbs that boost the minerals in our bodies
Herbalists have traditionally recommended nettle, alfalfa, oatstraw, and slippery elm to enhance the minerals in the body and maintain strong bones. In a 1999 Italian study, horsetail was shown to improve bone density.
Herbs that help to relieve joint pain
Although it has not been scientifically studied, turmeric has been traditionally prescribed to reduce inflammation and relieve the pain of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Devil’s claw (an African herb) and boswellia (a tree native to India, Africa, and the Middle East, which yields a resin known as sallai guggal) have been the subjects of several studies, but the results have been mixed. Other recent scientific studies have confirmed the traditional use of nettles, willow bark, ginger, St. John’s wort, evening primrose, borage, and black currant as effective analgesics and inflammation suppressors. The remedy most thoroughly studied and most confidently recommended is capsaicin, the pain-relieving compound derived from hot red peppers.
Reading Resources
Bucco, Gloria, “Joint Relief: Herbs for Osteoarthritic Pain. Herbs for Health, November/December, 1998, pp. 50-54.
Hoffman, David, Healthy Bones & Joints: A Natural Approach to Treating Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Tendinitis, Myalgia & Bursitis , Storey Books, 2000.
Khalsa, Karta Purkh Singh, “Herbs for Bone Health,” Herb Quarterly, Part One, Summer, 2003, pp. 43-49; Part Two, Fall, 2003, pp. 50-54.
Stengler, Mark, Build Strong Bones: Prevent Osteoporosis and Enhance Bone Health Naturally, IMPAKT Communications, 1998.
White, M.D., Linda B., “Pain-Free Joints, Naturally,” Herbs for Health, July/August, 2001, pp. 38-42.
A Collection of Recipes from Dead Man’s Bones
China’s Curried Chicken (CHAPTER TWO)
1 frying chicken, cut up
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter
1⁄2 cup chopped onion
1⁄2 cup celery, sliced diagonally
1⁄2 cup carrot, sliced diagonally
1 cooking apple, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 16-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 tablespoons raisins
1⁄8 to 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon curry powder
salt to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
In a large skillet, brown chicken pieces in hot oil and butter over medium-high heat. Remove chicken. In the oil, sauté onion, celery, carrot, apple, green pepper, and garlic until tender, but not brown. Stir in undrained diced tomatoes, raisins, crushed red pepper, curry powder, and salt. When the mixture boils, add chicken pieces. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove chicken to a heated platter. Make a paste by adding a little water to the cornstarch, and use it to thicken the vegetable mixture. Serve chicken and vegetables over brown rice. Makes 6-8 servings.
McQuaid’s Six-Alarm Chutney (CHAPTER TWO)
1 pound Granny Smith apples (or other tart apple),
peeled, cored, coarsely chopped
1⁄2 pound onions, chopped
1⁄2 pound raisins
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 quart cider vinegar
1 pound brown sugar
2 tablespoons mustard powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons cayenne (more, if you dare)
Place all ingredients in a nonreactive (stainless, glass, or enamel) pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for about 3 hours, uncovered, until the chutney is thick. Stir occasionally, to keep from sticking. Spoon into hot, clean jars and cover immediately with airtight lids. When cool, store in refrigerator for up to a month. Makes 4 or 5 half-pint jars.
Chilled Green Pea Soup, with Mint (CHAPTER FOUR)
3 cups green peas (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped very fine
11⁄4 cups whole milk
11⁄4 cups chicken stock
salt, pepper to taste
for garnish: sour cream, chopped green onion tops
Cook peas until soft in barely enough water to cover. Drain, place in a blender with mint, and puree. Add milk and chicken stock and blend until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt, pepper. Chill for at least an hour. Garnish with sour cream and chopped green onion tops. Serves 4.
Theresa Loe’s Chive Dip in Harvest Pumpkin (CHAPTER NINE)
8 ounces sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 small pumpkin, hollowed out
assorted cut vegetables
fresh chive blossoms
fresh lemon balm or parsley for garnish
In a small bowl, combine sour cream, cream cheese, chopped chives, scallions, salt, and garlic powder. Stir with a fork or whisk until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. To serve, spoon dip into pumpkin and set on a tray surrounded by fresh cut vegetables for dipping. Sprinkle some chopped chive blossoms on top of the dip. Garnish tray with remaining chive blossoms and fresh sprigs of lemon balm or parsley. Makes 11⁄2 cups. May be doubled or tripled for a large crowd or a larger pumpkin. (Reprinted with permission from The New Herbal Calendar, 2003, by Theresa Loe. To order Theresa’s current calendar, book, and videos, go to www.countrythyme.com, or write to Country Thyme, P.O. Box 3090, El Segundo, CA 90245.)
Bob Godwin’s Best Grilled Goat (CHAPTER FIFTEEN)
4 goat chops, 1” thick (round bone or shoulder blade)
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon ground rosemary
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple
1⁄2 cup Maria Zapata’s Jalapeño-Apricot jelly (or ordinary
jalapeño jelly or apricot jam)
1⁄4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
3 green onions, chopped
Rub chops with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the jelly melts. Broil or grill chops 8-10 minutes on each side. Spoon sauce over meat during the last 5 minutes. Sprinkle chops with green onions, and serve with bowl of sauce.
Docia’s Devil-Made-Me-Do-It Apple Pie (CHAPTER FIFTEEN)
u
nbaked crust for a two-crust 9” pie
8 medium apples, peeled, cored, sliced (about 8 cups)
1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
1⁄4 cup flour
1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄2 cup Maria Zapata’s Jalapeño-Apricot Jelly or 1⁄2 cup
ordinary jalapeño jelly
Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix sliced apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and jelly. Spoon into pastry-lined pie pan. Cover with top crust, crimp and seal edges, cut slits in top. Bake 40-50 minutes, or until crust is brown and juice bubbles through slits. To prevent overbrowning, cover crimped edges with aluminum foil; remove during last 15 minutes.
Ruby’s Better Bones Soup (CHAPTER SIXTEEN)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄2 cup onions, chopped
1⁄2 cup carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 14- or 16-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
1 4-ounce can water chestnuts, drained
2 baby bok choy, white and green parts sliced separately
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs (try parsley, sage, summer
savory, chervil, rosemary)
1⁄2 pound fresh kale, stems removed, chopped
6-8 ounces hard tofu, cubed
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, sauté onions and carrots for 7-8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add tomatoes, stock, water chestnuts, bok choy (white parts), bay leaf, and herbs and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add green parts of bok choy and kale and cook until just tender (1-2 minutes). Add tofu and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve hot. Makes 6-8 servings.
Howard’s Herbal Doggie Shampoo (CHAPTER NINETEEN)
1 quart liquid shampoo
2 drops pennyroyal or peppermint oil
2 drops lemon oil
2 drops rosemary oil
2 drops lavender oil
2 drops citronella
Mix all together, using amounts listed. Too much of a good thing can irritate a dog’s skin. (And do be careful when you use essential oils. Ingested, they are highly toxic.)
MYSTERY PARTNERS WEBSITE
Susan and Bill Albert maintain an interactive website with information about their books, herb lore, recipes, a bulletin board, and Susan’s online journal. To visit, go to www.mysterypartners.com. While you’re there, be sure and subscribe to the Alberts’ e-mail newsletter, which is sent at least once a month. China’s Garden and the Partners in Crime print newsletter are no longer being published.
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